Generally speaking, you can shoot jets at a very high shutter speed - unless you're looking for a certain type of effect (more on that later) but with prop driven planes it's important to shoot slow enough to show as much motion in the propeller as possible. Yes, this is easier said than done - as the Mustang in the shot below illustrates.

shutter speed too fast.

Quick Tips

Determine you current "stable" panning shutter speed

Start at 1/750th and begin working down from there

Practice good panning techniques

Plant your feet shoulder width apart

Keep your elbows tucked in

Pick a spot on your target and keep one specific focus point on that spot

Pivot at the waist

Gradually start to slow your shutter

Different airplanes will have different "sweet spots" - as high as 1/350th of a second all the way down to 1/60th of a second

Take a look at the shot below taken at a later air-show and compare it to the "frozen" Mustang above. Sharp focus is maintained but with a nice pleasing blur in the Mustang's prop. You don't get the feeling that the aircraft are just hanging in the sky but rather a good sense of motion.

acceptable shutter speed.

Jets

Generally speaking, you can use a high shutter speed on jets - makes for easier shooting and with a jet's speed you may need it. There are times, however, when you'll want to reduce your shutter speed based on background and simliar situations. The shot below is a good example, higher shutter speed for the jet worked just fine - but a slower speed would have significantly blurred the background creating an even greater sense of speed.

F-86 Sabre

One last consideration for slower shutter speeds, be sure you're not dealing with three axis movement. You can manage a shutter when:

the plane is moving closer or farther away from you (autofocus does this)

the plane is moving forward (a good panning technique handles this one)

However, if the plane is rotating, rolling or pitching up dramatically at the same time it's moving forward - you'll start to pick up some blur as you can't pan in multiple directions.

Some Basic Tips

Multiple shots: set you camera to take images as fast as it can - you'll want to select from the best of a sequence

Aperture: it can be hard when you need light, but you don't want to shoot too close to your maximum aperture. With even a single aircraft, you could need 12-20 feet of depth of field to get the entire ship in focus.

Single aircraft: f/8 is minimum, assuming a good distance between you and the aircraft in flight.

Multiple aircraft: f/11 is minimum, but f/14 is a safer choice

Shutter speed:

This one deserves a dedicated post (on its way) but some basics are:

Jets: you've got latitude here, use as fast a shutter as you can

Prop: this is where it gets challenging. You want to see the prop "blur" in your shot. This can require shutter speeds as low as 1/250th or lower. But you need to have your panning technique down cold in order to ensure the aircraft itself is in focus

Harsh light

Most air shows take place during the middle of the day, not much you can do about it. Here are a couple things to look into though:

Evening shows: many air shows will have a Friday night event at dusk - take advantage of these!

Get to the show very early. Usually aircraft will be flying in during the early morning hours, including static displays. This could allow you a shot or two with some good light

Blue Angels

Expose for the aircraft - don't worry if everything else is blown out or blocked up

F-16 climbing

Composition considerations

Leave room to fly into. Don't butt the nose of the ship right up against the edge of your frame

Look for different angles, including aircraft flying away from you - unlike animals or people, there is no "head angle" to worry about!

Falcon . . . weapons hot

Pre-Show Tips

Check on show locations and dates

Especially the time the gates open

Special seating

Some shows (for a price) have VIP seating that can also include shelter and beverages

Flight line seating, get there early

Pay attention to the gate opening time. If you don't have VIP seating, you'll want to get there early to grab a spot right on the flight line

In upcoming posts, we'll also take a deeper look at more advanced considerations

Whenever possible, shoot at eye level (or the equivalent in your subjects) to gain interest, perspective and drama. It's comfortable to make pictures from your standing position but that rarely gives you the best angle. Squat, get on your knees, sit or lay down. Like my friend Rick Sammon says "use you camera like a spaceship!"

For the shot in this post, I scoped out a spot on the return ramp and laid down, waiting for the turn,

Panning Shots - The Practice is Worth it!

It takes practice and patience to develop a good panning technique, but the shots captured will make you proud. Chances are you already have some of the basics down and just don't realize it. Panning relies on good form and a steady motion - similar to a golf swing, skeet shooting and other activities. Here are some quick tips to get you started:

Stance

Don't move your feet or your shoulders - pivot at your waist

Consider the arc of your pan, and face closer to your ending position - twist back to get to your starting point

This places what should be your best balanced position towards the end of your pan, allowing for better control

Holding technique

There are many ways to do this and not necessarily "one" right way - this is how I do it:

Press the camera against your face to increase stability. A larger, cushioned eye-cup can make this more comfortable and effective

Tuck your elbows into your side, increasing stability

Lean slightly into your shot - this will create a more stable "triangle" between your face, front hand and tucked in elbows

Settings

Shutter speed will be limited by your panning technique, with propeller driven aircraft requiring the most skill. Begin your practicing with no lower than 1/750th of a second shutter speed and move down as you become comfortable

Spread your feet about should width apart - provides a stable platform and good balance

Select your target

While you can use multiple focus points, I've found it best to use the single point selection option - and lock it on target

Pick a spot on the aircraft, place your focus point of choice on it and keep it there (yes, easier said than done)

This doesn't have to be the center point. As illustrated below, your target won't necessarily have a viable center spot

Aim and move

Depending on your target and the arc it's traveling, the speed will not be constant - you'll have to adjust with your target

The bike shot below (shutter speed of 1/ 180th) was extra difficult as the bike and plane were not traveling at the same rate of speed for most of the run. 20 images yielded only one that was sharp enough.

The bike shot below (shutter speed of 1/ 180th) was extra difficult as the bike and plane were not traveling at the same rate of speed for most of the run. 20 images yielded only one that was sharp enough.

Once you've locked your focus point in place, practice your panning

Follow through

You want to shoot on continuous - as fast as your camera can go. With practice you'll surely get better and have more "keepers" but even the best rarely achieve better than a 50/50 average keeper rate on difficult targets

Start early . . . end late

Begin your shooting sequence a second or two early - it will give you time to get the "rhythm" and allow your image stabilization to spin up

Use image stabilization? Well, it depends. Read up on your camera / lens. Some systems have a special setting for image stabilization during panning

At the end of your series of shots, keep the motion going past the point of action. You will naturally tend to slow down at the very end and you want to ensure you're still in rhythm when your last shutter click occurs

Practice

There really is no substitute for it, and it's amazing how much better your equipment seems to work when you practice!

It's all fun and games to the spectators at the air shows, but it's a deadly serious business to the performers.

These men and women are true athletes in every sense of the word - think of the strength, endurance - and guts - it takes to perform these stunts. These performers are also carrying on a tradition that extends back to just after the first world war, although there were some early pioneers such as Didier Masson, Lincoln Beachey and Glenn Curtiss.

"Barnstormers" delighted the crowds, gave rides and introduced the upcoming generation to the thrill of flying and the importance of air power.